Giants Hire Freddie Kitchens As Tight Ends Coach

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens will coach again in 2020.

Kitchens, 45, is expected to become the new tight ends coach for the New York Giants under rookie head coach Joe Judge.

College football writer Bruce Feldman was the first to report the news.

The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport later confirmed it.

The former #Browns coach lands with Joe Judge and the #Giants, source confirms. They’ve agreed to a deal. https://t.co/j0DgkymJqo

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 27, 2020

Kitchens interviewed with the Giants before last week’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

He joins Judge’s offensive staff under new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

It ends the speculation that Jason Witten might follow Garrett as the Giants’ tight ends coach.

Kitchens and Judge worked together at Mississippi State.

The Browns fired Kitchens in December after the team finished with a 6-10 record in 2019.

It marked Kitchens’ lone season as Browns’ head coach.

Oddsmakers considered the Browns the favorites to win the AFC North last August.

Odds to win the AFC North (Bovada):@Browns +120@steelers +195@Ravens +295@Bengals +1500

— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) August 13, 2019

Kitchens’ head-coaching tenure was filled with questionable coaching decisions, poor clock management and sideline spats with receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.

It also included Kitchens getting photographed wearing a “Pittsburgh started it” T-shirt after the Nov. 14 brawl between defensive end Myles Garrett and Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph.

Kitchens told media members his daughters wanted him to wear the shirt, and said that he’d “wear it again.”

Kitchens was the Browns’ running backs coach in 2018.

After the Browns fired offensive coordinator Todd Haley midway through the 2018 season, Kitchens called plays as interim offensive coordinator before taking over as Browns’ head coach in 2019.

The Browns went 5-3 with Kitchens as offensive coordinator.

Browns tight end David Njoku was a key part of the team’s passing game in 2018 with 56 receptions on 88 targets for 639 yards and four touchdowns.

A wrist injury limited Njoku to just four games in 2019.

The Browns’ other tight ends — Ricky Seals-Jones, Demetrius Harris and Stephen Carlson — combined for 34 catches for 449 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

Now, Kitchens will coach Giants tight ends Evan Engram and Kaden Smith.

In eight games, Engram had 44 catches on 68 targets for 467 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

In nine games, Smith had 31 receptions on 42 targets for 269 yards and three touchdowns in 2019.

Tight end Scott Simonson is expected to hit free agency.

The Giants hold the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after finishing the 2019 season with a 4-12 record.

Kitchens has coached tight ends at Mississippi State (2004), the Dallas Cowboys (2006) and the Arizona Cardinals (2007-2012).

The former Browns coach also has coaching experience at Glenville State (1999), LSU (2000), North Texas (2001-2003), Mississippi State (2004-2005) and with the Cardinals (2007-2017).